Washing machine



Dec. 1l, 1928.

s. E. scHRoEDER l WASHING MACHINE Filed Aug- 21. 1926 "2 Sheets-Sheet lTia- 1 39 ATIDENEYE s. E. SCHROEDER WASHING MACHINE F11ed Aug. 21. 1926z sheets-snee: 2

ATTORNEYS i Patenten Dec. 11,1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT ol-Elea smoN n. scnnonnnn, or NEWTON, Iowa,AssIGNon, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To

AUTOMATIC? WASHER WARE.

COMPANY, NEWTON, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WASHING MACHINE.

nppneationniea August 21, 192e. serial Np. 130,624.

This invention relates to washing machines, and more particularly towashing machines of the dolly type, the same having an overhead orabove-the-cover drive. One of the objects of the invention is in theprovision of a washing machine of the dolly type, the same having asimplifieddriving means therefor, saiddriving means including suchrackmechanism and means for re- O clprocating same as obviates' thenecessity of raising the rack prior to the lifting of the Washingmachinelid.

Another object is in the provision of driv-A 4 ing means for 4the dollyof a washing machine, said driving means being of such nature as topermit raising of the lid portion without first 'a manual manipulationof a part ofthe drivin mechanism.

till another object is in the provision of a dolly type of washingmachine, the same having an above-the-lid driving mechanism, saidmechanism being so associated with the lid portionand means forreciprocating same, as to permit the manual raising and lowering of thelid portion with a coincident automatic release and engagement of therack andv driving means for reciprocating same.

A further obj ect is in the provision of a special driving mechanism forthe dolly of a washing machine, said driving mechanism including aspeciallyformed rack bar disposed on the upper surface ofthe washingmachine lid and mechanism for reciprocating said rack bar disposedadjacent thereto in a manner to automatically release and engage saidrack bar upon the' manual raising and lowering of the lid portion.

A still further object is in the provision of a special and simpledriving means for the dolly of a washing machine, the driving meansbeing disposed upon the upper surface of the lid portion and including arack bar s ecured to the lid portion in a manner to lprevent'disengagement with the gear upon t e raising of the lid portion, apitman for transmitting reciprocatory movement to said rack, and areadily detachable connection between said pitlnan and rack bar topermit manual raising and lowering of the lid without regard to theparticular location or positioning of the rack bar.

Other objects will appear in the following.

specification, taken in connection with 4the annexed draw1ngs,1 nwhlchf- Fig. 1 is a plan view of theiiwa'shing machine, with portionsthereof cut away for a more detailed view of various elements;

iFig. 2 is'a side elevation, portions thereof being broken away foramore detailed view ofthe rack bar and. manner of connecting same to thedriving means;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partially in setion, of the washing machine;and

Fig. 4 is a detail view, in end elevation, taken on the line 4-4 ofFig-.1, with the cover portion in theraised position.

Before describing the present 'washing machine and driving means indetail, it might be stated that this washer was designed with the ideaof improving upon the many undesirable features that are at presentfound in the dolly type of washing machine. Y Applicant had in mindtheidea of simplifying the driving mechanism toy a considerable degree, topermit the production'of -a dolly washer at a verysmall` cost. f

gain, with respect to the driving means for 4the dolly of the washingmachine, applicant desires, to utilize generally' the simple,above-the-cover rack drive for the dolly, but

to fashion same and dispose it 0n the top ofV the lid of the washer'insuch manner as to'permit a manualraising and lowering of the lid memberwithout manually releasing and engaging the rack bar and the drivingmeans therefor.

The present application is directed more particularly to this improvedmanner of supporting 'and connecting the rack bar to the driving meansthan the other elements which go to make up the complete washer.

It is obvious that in the usual dolly typewashing machine utilizing theoverhead rack drive, the operator must rst either raise the rack bar, ordisengage same manually from the driving means before the lid can belifted to permit the removal 0r entry -of materials to be washed.Applicant desires not only to obviate this undesirable feature ofthe-gen- -eral type of dolly'machines, .butto do so 1n a4 simple andetlicient manner.'

To accom l'sh the above desired result, ap- A i 4plicant util1zes A thefollowing structure; A washing machine tub is shownat `10, having 'theleg portions 11 supported near their lower extremities by the braces 12.A framing support 13 provides the seating means for the tub member, aswell as a connecting means between thetub and legs.

The tub has the lidportion 14 hinged in the well known manner, as at 15,thereto, or rather ,to the top portion 16 thereof, a latch portion 17being pivoted as at 18 to the top of said tub. It is obvious that bymanual. movement of said latch to an outer position, the lid portionv14may be readily raised or lowered, as the-case may be, and a consequentmovement of 'the latch in the opposite direction wouldassure clamping ofthe lid in its lowered position, A dolly 19 is securely attached to avertically1 disposed shaft 20, y which is slidably mountedin a supportin the cover 14. This shaft. 20, projects through and has a slidableconnection with the driven gear 21, but has its shape corresponding to'the aperture in the said gear 21 in a manner to be moved by said gear.

`The above construction with respect to the dolly type. of washingmachine is Well known, and it is apparent that the dolly `19 rides upand down upon the clothes content during its agitation, with a similarraising and lowering 1 of the vertical shaft 20, the same beingoscillated by the movement of the driven gear 21, said gear havingmovement transmitted thereto by the following driving mechanism.

A wellknown electric motor 22 is securely bolted to a hasevportion 23secured to the framing support 13. A pulley 24 upon the projecting shaftof the electric motor carries a belt 25, which encircles' a largerpulley '26 seand atits opposite end in a bracket 34, which is secured bymeans of the plural bolt members 35 to the washer top, or apron portion29.

The bevel gear 36, secured to the opposite endof the horizontal driveshaft 33, meshes with an adjacent and larger bevel gear 37,

shown in detailin Fig. 2. The bevel gear 37 is rotatable about a pivot38, iXedly secured in the above mentioned apron or washer top 29. A'nupwardly projecting lug 39 on the bevel gear 37 has pivote'd thereto apitman 40. A raised portion 41 not only actsas a cover for the gears andpitman, which is constantly moving during motor activity,but'also formsa bearing support for a receivin and driving portion 42 for the Wringermec anism, not shown. The connection between the driving member 42 andthebevel gear 37 is provided in a crank formation 43, off the lower endof the member42, the same being pivoted on the the ear 37.

T e cover portion 41,l as shown in Fig. 1, is bolted by means of theplural bolt members 44 to the apron 29, and decreases in width as itextends' towards the lid portion of the washer. That portion of thecover membel.` 41, which lies adjacent the lid member, vis

vfashioned to receive a guide member 45. This guide member is'actuallymade up of four guide portions, two above and two below, as may beperhapsmost clearlyseen in Fig. 2, the same extending from a' pointadjacent the lid portion to a point adjacent -the gear 37. It is obviousthat if the guide member 45 were solid, movementiof the pitman40,induced by the movement of gear 37, would be prevented, inasmuch as saidpitman moves a distance to each side. However, by separating the guidemember 45' into upper and lower sections, .an opening 'is lefttherebetween to permit this side movement of the pitman. The pitman 40has a pivotal connection, by means of the vertical bolt 46, with a.member 47` that Aconforms to the shape of the plural guide member 45,and is reciprocated .therein upper end of the lug 39, which is carriedby Y by means of the pitman. This member 47 is shownperhaps mostvclearly in Fig. 4, and it is ap arent that towards the outer endthereofa olt 48 is secured horizontallytherein to the side portionsthereof.' Similarly, it is obvious that said member 47 has that portionlying adjacent the lid portion opened as at 49,'to receive the hookedend 50 of the `rack bar 51 that is supported on the lid.14. The

rack bar 51 is actually made up of two parts, -the rack bar proper 51,which has its tooth portion 52 meshing with the teeth on the driven gear21, and also that portion which is 'designated 51L that carries the hookmember 50', capable of engagement with the horizontal bolt 48, thelatter being a part of the member 47, which is reciprocated by thepitmau 40. That portion of the rack descrbedas 51a is pivoted, as at 53,to the rack 51, a s ring member 54 being connected to the rac 51 and tothe rack ortion 51 in such manner as-to tensionally epress that portion51a downwardly vupon ,the l1d 14 for reasons later to be described. v

The rack 51, as wellas its adjacent vportion 51%, is supported in amanner to constantly engage the driven gear 21, a cover member 55surroundin same and secured by means of the plural bo t members 56 tothe washin machine lid. It is apparent that the rac bar, which duringmotor activity is constantly reciprocated, is almost entirelyhoused, itbeing noticeable, however, that that portion of the cover 55 lyingadjacent the hook por tion 50, is slightly raised to permit slightupward movement of the rack Aportion 51a against the tension of thespring 54. Plural stop members 57 prevent reciprocation of the 4 rackbar 51 beyond the normal movement thereof, inducedby activity of thepitman 40. These stops also act to prevent manual withdrawal of therack, as Well as to prevent such movement of the rack from its normalposition as to prevent the automatic engagement of the hook portion 50with the horizontal bolt 48 during the manual raising and lower- I ingof the lid,.portion 14.

Having described the Washing machine and driving means therefor in whatis thought to be complete detail, the operation of same will now be set"forth. It is obvious that activity of the electric motor transmitsmovement through the various pulleys, gears, etc.

to thegear 37, which in turn transmits move- 4 ment to the pitman 40.The reciprocation of the pitman 40 is transmitted to the rack 51 throughthe connection ot the hook 50 with the bolt- 48. It is obvious'thatreciprocation of the pitman again transmits oscillatory movement to thedriven gear 21, which movement is carried directly to the dolly 19, withthe result that the agitation of said dolly accomplishes the washingaction. Obviously,

should there be a direct connection betweenthe pitman 40 and rack bar,it would, beimpossible for the operator to raise the lid por` tion whendesired, but in the present case, there is an automatically operatingconnecting means between the pitman and rack bar through the hook 50 andbolt 48, with the result that when the lid 14 is raised, the hook 50 isautomatically released from vthe bolt 48 and automatically re-engagessaid hook upon Y the closing of the lid.

It might seem, unless, otherwise pointed out, that the rack bar couldassume a position that would prevent the re-engagement of the hook 5()with the bolt 48 upon the lower-l ing of the lid. However, it may beseen from Fig. 2 that the covering for the pitman does not extend out toa point to prevent the rack bar, in whatever position it may be, fromengaging the bolt 48, even if said rack bar were in its `most extendedposition with respect to the lid.

Again, it might seem that after the lid was raised, the pitman might bemoved away from the rack bar, which is entirely possible.

However, ,with the present structure, this would have no effect withrespect to the auto.-A matic re-engagement, because when the lid waslowered, although the hook would not then immediately engage bolt 48,neverthei less' upon re-commencement of reciprocation of pitman 40, thebolt 48- carried by member 47 would ride under the spring' tensionedhook 50, due to the beveling of the end 'portions shown at 5 8, with theresult that the bolt would actually enga e the hook rather than the hookengage' the olt. l, Also, we find that the fact that this ten- `siona-lmounting of that part of the rack barl designated 51'* assists intheready and automatic engagement and release of the hook with thehorizontal bolt 48;

AWhat I claim-is:

1. In a washing machine having a hinged cover; a rack slidably mountedon said cover, a rotary member arranged t'o be driven from a source'ofpower, a casing surrounding said rack, a pitman connecting said rackwith said Arotary member, and a connection between said pitman and saidrack permitting disengagement by upward movement of sald rack.

2. In a washing machine having an upwardly movable cover, drivingmechanism comprising a rack disposed above said cover,

a pltman arranged to reciprocate said rack, a downwardly'eXtendm-g hookon sald rack having -its forward end beveled, a transverse

